Developing Questions
- Develop five to six questions. The standard time frame for an employee focus group is one hour to 90 minutes, and five or six questions is enough to fill this time.
- Always first ask yourself what problem or need will be addressed by the information gathered during the session, e.g., examine if a new service or idea will work, further understand how a program is failing, etc.
- Employee focus groups are basically a means of motivating or gathering information from employees about how you can improve your company.
- Scheduling is important. Some employees are very busy, and a lunchtime meeting is best. For others, mornings or afternoons are more appropriate. Plan each focus group according to appropriate schedule.
- Setting and refreshments make a big difference. Hold sessions in a conference room, or other setting with adequate air flow and lighting. Configure chairs so that all members can see each other, such as around a table. Provide name tags for members, as well, so that each employee can identify everyone present. Provide refreshments, especially box lunches if the session is held over lunch.
- Ground Rules are critical so that all members participate as much as possible, yet allow the session to move along while producing useful information. It’s useful to have a few, short ground rules that sustain participation, yet do so with focus on the employee. Consider the following three ground rules: a) keep focused, b) maintain momentum and c) get closure on questions.
- Consider the following Agenda: welcome, review of agenda, review of goal of the meeting, review of ground rules, introductions, questions and answers, wrap up.
- Membership – Employee focus groups are usually conducted with 6-10 employees who have some similar nature, e.g., similar age group, status in a program, etc. Select employees who are likely to be participative and reflective, but do not necessarily know each other beforehand.
- Plan to record the session with either an audio or audio-video recorder. Don’t rely solely on your memory. If this isn’t practical, involve a co-facilitator to take notes.
